Unofficial news and tips about Google

November 28, 2007

Google Maps for Mobile Shows Your Location

The latest version of Google Maps for mobile phones has a new feature called "my location". Instead of having to enter your location, Google Maps is able to find it. If your phone has GPS support the location detection should be very good, but even if there's no GPS, Google Maps can approximate your location. "The My Location feature takes information broadcast from mobile towers near you to approximate your current location on the map - it's not GPS, but it comes pretty close (approximately 1000m close, on average)." To find your location on the map, just press 0 and look for a blue dot.

Google says that this feature should work on most "Java, BlackBerry, Windows Mobile, and Nokia/Symbian devices", but it doesn't work in Sony Ericsson K750i, so this claim is questionable.

To get the new version (2.0), go to http://google.com/gmm on your mobile device. It's still in beta, so don't expect it to be flawless.

If you have a Java-enabled (J2ME) device, BlackBerry or Windows Mobile device, you can easily check whether or not My Location (beta) is available. Just to go "Help" > "About" from the application. If the box contains "myl: N/A," it means your device isn't reporting a cell.

I tried it out today, and it worked fairly well but there was a HUGE degree of uncertainty. Well over 1700 meters in the multiple cases I tried.

You can tell it's located the tower I'm linked too. If I was completely lost in a town I'd never been to, this might be helpful for finding my start point, but given how inaccurate it is not sure how useful it will be.

I'll give you an example, I'm on 7th street right now and it's showing me on 11th street (and four blocks up) which I happen to know is where the nearest tower to me is.

I just tried this in Erie, PA. It shows the location, but is about 5 miles off. I enabled GPS and still got the same result. At least it's in the right county, but I can't say much more for it than that.

It would be nice if some sort of GPS detection could be added to 1800-GOOG-411 so that I could search for businesses close to me instead of narrowing it down to a whole city or area code. Then again, as soon as they would do that, I'd want it to guide me there via vocalized directions as well...it's always something.

i'm in NYC (astoria, queens) and also getting the "Your current location is temporarily unavailable" message as well. Using windows mobile on an XV6700, for what it's worth. I'm getting maximum signal strength verizon EVDO, kind of a bummer. Judging from everyone else's similar comments it sounds like Google still has some work to do, but an awesome concept.

I personally think it is very intersting. I had never heard of that before ( but of course i've been living out of the country for 2 years!)And to all those negative people, anything could always be better

I have Sony Ericsson K810i Cyber-shot phone. Today i downloaded new Beta soft. from Google by pointing my phone's Net-Front Browser to maps.google.com

after downloading, it took a while to load ( blue bar... ). Later it showed me "Your current location is temporarily unavailable".

I didn't closed Google Maps software. I started searching the web by typing the above generated error in Google Web Search on my PC.

Roughly in 5 or say 10 minutes when i checked my phone, I got my approximate location within 1700 metres. So It definitely works.

Do one thing ; Go to Menu->Help->About/info-> Scroll Down to the last line. You will see just like that :-

404:59:some numbers:some numbers

Here 404 means Indiaand 59 stands for CellOne Rajasthan.

This is a network code.

If that type of thing appears then wait for sometimes as your software might be in processing stage.

This is a useful thing. Thanks a millions to Google. Though in Beta stage it's not pinpointed like Good SONY GPS devices but at least when you are travelling via bus or Train then say at midnight while you get up from your birth then you can get some info about your current location. It's cool. The other way to get info is to use Cell Information feature in your phone. For Sony Ericsson phones, go to MESSAGING->SETTINGS->AREA INFO->CELL INFORMATION->ON

in standby screen you'll see the name of place as a second line after Network name. ( Provided your operator supports. )

This is possible that you and your friend that are on different networks and at same place are getting different results. Let's take an example of Google Earth. A few years ago when it was launched; it didn't have place name of each and every location compared to today and even still it's getting finer each day. If you are a member of Google Earth community then you can contribute by sharing the names of those places that you know. The same thing applies here at GMM. Google didn't say but it need volunteers. Here the information is mobile carrier specific. That means On the same place ATT tower might be registered to GMM MyL but it's not necessary that Vodafone's tower is also registered in MyL database of Google.

As i said earlier Google needs volunteers that means only those people who have GPS Handsets with GMM Running or Handsets which are attached to GPS Accessories like Sony Ericsson HGE 100 or any Bluetooth GPS Accessory and GMM software ON can help Google to enriched it's database of Mobile towers.

Now again let's move back to the problem when 2 people on different networks are at same place. If a first person gets the approximate location information on GMM that means that some times ago a person who has GPS Phone or Phone with GPS Accessory had passed to that location while GMM was running so GMM has sent the information of that Tower and saved into the database.

So, if you have a phone that can work with GPS and you want that your area or village gets fully covered on GMM so that other citizens or tourists who doesn't have GPS Phone can take an advantage of it; then you have volunteer for it. If there is a vacation or weekend then just attach GPS accessory or start in-built GPS and on the meantime start GMM. Now just roam around your favourite places. Next time when anyone without GPS functionality will use GMM; he will not receive error messages like "location temporary available" and at the end of the day you will feel content that you did something for your area or locality and now it is fully covered under your favourite mobile carrier/ Operator.

If this method is getting costly to you then do one thing, start Cell Information on your phone. Now if you see a new location name on screen then just start your GPS and GMM and Google will register it. Now exit the software. Again if you come to that place where different location name is showing then do the same thing. Thus your favourite area will get 100% covered.

In short, if more people with GPS use this service in different areas the more it will get enrich.

Satya,I see you know a lot about gmm. May be you'll give me an answer to the following question: Is it required to use GPRS to be a volunteer you mention? I tried to use GPS and WiFi on my smartphone and roamed around my home abot 1 hour (GSM module was on ofcourse) Then I tried to find my location without GPS. Result: "Your current location is temporarily unavailable". May be it's required some time to update towers information on google servers. How long it will update this information?

First of all thanks for the message. I am glad. Well...i am just like you...an enthusiast about Mobile technologies so i may be wrong but i believe yes you might need GPRS/ EDGE/ 3G/ 3.5G connection to send your tower info to Google Database. OK let's do an experiment. If you have a facility know as "FLIGHT MODE" in your mobile or if you can start your phone without SIM card then try to establish your phone's GPS + WiFi + GMM. Does GMM still working ? It might show you GPS Info but MyL won't be present. Now Insert SIM card and use GMM+GPS through WiFi. Check at upper corner about how much data is being transferred. Is it 0 ( zero ) ? in that case you might be seeing those maps which GMM has fetched from Cache memory. If this is not the case and data is being transferred that means GMM is dependent on Wi-Fi connection which doesn't have any give or take relationship with your existing GSM Network. In GMM go to HELP->ABOUT->SCROLL DOWN....can you see the unique cell-id of the tower? Might be Yes.

well in my point of view and as far as i have learnt through GMM Video and different forums; For MyL database, Google can only enjoy that connection which relates to GSM technology like GPRS. As; when you connect to Internet without wifi through GPRS; your GSM Connection gets actively involved. The software is totally based on GSM technology.

This is possible that my views are wrong. I guess only Google can answer this.

I read that you roam for one hour. Well it depends how far area you've covered in 1 hour because Base stations foot print can be as far as 1700 metres or more. I advice you to activate the Cell Broadcast so that you know about the area otherwise a person who has covered more than 1 kilometres in one hour on foot can still be under one base station footprint so there won't be any change. Cell Broadcast comes handy at this situation.

It's also possible that GMM utilise info sent by wi-fi network and it might take some time say 2 days for updating.

These answers can only be achieved by experiments. if you have subscribed GPRS then i guess you should try the other channel then wi-fi. Who knows...the info gets updated instantly.

I have a AT&T (Cingular) 8525. I get the "Your current location is temporarily unavailable." In the Milwaukee area. In the help/about, it does list info for myl: 310:41030998:1152It lists my platform as winm-pocketPC-Herm100/Web [en_US,en].

Can this info tell me where I am? Is there some way to enable my location to work. It obviously is passing along some tower info.

I tried it with my O2 XDA mini. IT gives the same message like many others Your current location is temporarily unavailable. in the help -- about the myl :N/A. my OS is windows 2003. Is there a way out?Other guys around me using smart phones are getting the location.

I think that google let this one out of the bag way too soon. I have seen more post (like mine) where all you get is a message saying your location is temporarily unavailable. I hope it works, but I miss the "Find Location" feature where I could just key in a zip code and at least center the map

I use a motorola V3 and get the temporarily unavailable messsage. My phone is reporting a cell so I can only assume that googles database of cell positions is incomplete in my area. Hope they fill the gaps soon.

Will somebody answer the questions about sprint windows mobile devices. Is there anything you can do when the Help> about screen shows the myl: N/A. Does this mean Google is making it not available, Sprint, or a setting on the device. What about some talk about switching to the Edge band with a program called Bandswitch will this work ith a spring 6800 (Mogul)? Thanks

From the above, it looks like the Verizon/Audiovox XV6700 doesn't work (unless you pay Verizon $20/mo to activate the feature). I'm guessing it should work w/ the addition of a "HOLUX 236" for I want to use this for hiking. Is there any "bread crumbs" functionality in Google maps?

God, if i here one more Iphone loser whining about software and compatibility, im going to scream. You bought it, you deal with it. You just had to be trendy without doing the research and now your stuck. enjoy your EDGE network and 0 functionality.

I have a Palm Treo - with T-Mobile, it worked perfectly in Amsterdam - and in New Delhi - but it seems to have issues here in the States, it will show where i was about 5 to 7 hours prior. Otherwise it works -